American ex-pat Renaissance type: writer/photographer/designer/inventor. Has lived longer in France than in the US, and has worked in 18 countries. Studied at the Sorbonne and has been in France on and off since the 1950s. Congenial, social, friendly, easy-going, Shayne is the ideal host for a visit to Paris because he knows every corner and angle of the city, where all the finest art work is hidden, and where the cheap but wonderful Paris restaurants (they still exist) are found.

Shayne became a close friend of Henry Miller in Big Sur. He later worked for the UN in Rome for 15 years as a database architect and builder. He has nine books for sale on Amazon at present (search Amazon for 'Bruce Shayne Nelson') and is adding each of his seven plays to that selection. He is also a video producer with 220 videos already posted on youtube, mostly classical music videos, on the ShayneNelson channel.
He also designs software utilities for use under Windows. His most recent application is Corgi, which camouflages any emails or documents you wish to send over the Web.

Reviews
(128)

Reviews From Guests

As Shayne mentions in the description, the location is truly great. Only steps away from Notre Dame and the Seine. However there is a reason all of the pictures are of the location and not the space. If you are looking for a comfortable place to stay, you may want to find another place. My wife and I stayed in July and found the apartment to be very warm-so much so that we couldn't sleep at night and just laid there sweating. The place was not very clean (including the shower that is a bit of a challenge to get into as well), and there was no true privacy to the room as there is no door and the only separation is a curtain and a collapsible section of an armoire (although Shayne did mention he has asked a contractor to install a real door). Overall we probably would only recommend staying here if you are a single traveler who doesn't plan to cook, doesn't get grossed out by a fairly dirty place, and wants prime location. Otherwise another place or a hostel would probably be a better bet.

The Garret has stone walls almost two feet thick so it's one of the coolest buildings in Paris during a heat wave. It also has a great fan. Unfortunately for Bob and his wife they decided to stay in Paris the hottest night of the year... the outdoor temp hit 37 centigrade (around 100 fahrenheit) during the day and stayed hot most of the night. People all over the city were uncomfortable that night, and almost all of them were probably warmer and more uncomfortable than Bob and his wife in the relatively cool oasis which is the Garret for 2. (Air conditioning in Paris is virtually non-existent in hotels which cost less than 300 euros a night, and not always available even in hotels above that price.) Too bad the heat kept them awake and kept them from enjoying the remarkably good sleep which most guests experience (and comment on) when staying in this room on Sacred Ground.
The reviewer gives a false impression concerning cleanliness since in fact the Garret for two is rather a clean place, scrubbed and scoured thoroughly by an assiduous cleaning man who visits quite frequently. However since it is around 500 years old, the Garret's bathroom is never going to look as spotlessly clean as the ones in the Holiday Inn and people who judge a place by how brightly the plumbing sparkles may be a little disappointed here. The Garret is more Bohemia than it is Mayo Clinic.

Shayne's garret is the authentic 17th-century Parisian experience. It is tiny, narrow and atmospheric, and the dead-centre location is unparalleled. Please understand that this is not luxury accommodation; these are the little rooms where generations of ordinary Parisians lived. Having said that, the guest room is perfectly spacious for one and doesn't feel cramped. The bed is firm, as I like it; those who prefer a soft mattress may not sleep as well as I did (though Shayne said everyone seems to sleep well there). There are two tables at which to sit and write or surf the speedy net. The street below bustles with the noise of life until the wee hours, but the windows are double-glazed and you can shut that out. I stayed in a sweltering June so left them open, but I enjoyed the sounds of the street. The shower is truly tiny; do be careful climbing the steps into it. And I hope you like to chat, because you might get trapped with Shayne (though perhaps we just hit it off; he said he doesn't often get to know his guests well). He's an expat American and eccentric leftie who fell in love with the French and stayed. If you are a fussy guest you might find niggling complaints, but if you are open to experiences this is hard to beat.

Thanks, Wayne, for the following lovely comments in your personal note to me, even more positive than the review above.
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“The atmosphere. The crooked, narrow, winding staircase (what an introduction); the art on the walls; and the crazy bohemian conversation. I really loved my time here, Shayne, and when I get back to Paris (hopefully sooner than later) I will knock on your door again.

The listing was accurate and the location cannot be beat. There are a ton of restaurants and bars and nightlife all around, yet I had no problem sleeping. As advertised, it's just a short hop to Notre Dame, which in turn is a short hop to the Louvre, which in turn is a hell of a walk to the Eiffel Tower (I did it anyway). The garret is on the fourth floor with no elevator, but it was a really easy climb (especially considering air france did me the favor of losing my luggage).
During the time I was in Paris there was a crazy heat wave, with high temperatures above 100 degrees fahrenheit. I spent time in a few places, and Shayne was the only person who provided a fan (nobody has air conditioning, so you can forget that pipe dream). That fan provided just about the only comfort I felt during my stay in Paris. :-)
Keep in mind this is not a hotel... it's very bohemian. You are essentially staying in an off-room with the Dos Equis man, with all that entails. If you have no sense of adventure or humor, this may not be the place for you. But he's a really interesting man, with interesting stories, and artwork around the room. He also provided quite a bit of information ahead of my visit to help me plan my stay. And he provided some invaluable advice about jumping the RER B, which I turned out to need (machine wouldn't take my cards, only accepts coins, and the ticket office wasn't open).
If you are staying here as a couple, you should be aware you don't have perfect privacy. There is a curtain and two dividers you can use to close off your room, but it's not the same as a door. And just beyond is the shared kitchen, which leads to the shared bathroom, which of course he'll be using at some point. The extent to which this bothers you probably correlates to how puritanically you were raised. I very much doubt frisky business is going to bother him.
I was only here for a night, and I think it was a shame I didn't get a chance to grab a meal or a drink with Shayne. Maybe next time around.

Smelly, small, dirty, noisy and overpriced. Awkward arrangement as you have to pass his bedroom (mattress in the corner of the living room surrounded by a shower curtain). Positives: Great location, helpful advice and very chatty host.

As the poet pointed out long ago, hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.
In fact the Garret is large for a Paris room (many guests comment on that) and it always smells like roses --- even when there are no flowers present. (many guests comment on that as well.) The Garret is cleaned and scrubbed very thoroughly every week by a diligent, thorough cleaning man who hates dust and dirt. How any could escape him and come to this woman's notice is beyond me. On top of his efforts, the Garret is vacuumed and steam-cleaned before each new arrival.
Please consult the many positive reviews below to get some perspective on how inaccurate this one is.

For young people or backpackers traveling alone, this is a funny little "Paris bohemian" hideout smack dab in the center of the tourist part of town- nightlife etc. For couples with a more romantic wish or higher standards I would recommend to keep looking...

Shayne is a courteous host with a plethora of interesting tales and is generous with his absolutely priceless knowledge of Paris.
The room is basic and satisfactory, the bed is convenient and internet reliable. The window is above one of the liveliest streets in Paris, this is fun but also quite load, for those who care. Shayne’s’ location cannot be beat, meters from Notre-Dan and with a lift going straight down to the T. The apartment is tight, basically one room broken down into two and you have quite a lot of stairs to climb on the way up, so this is not for everyone; you need some sense of adventure. Encouraged by Airbnb, Shayne raised his price to 125 euros. I thought this was reasonable for that busy weekend when I visited, especially as I was able to get it in one days’ notice. However, for this price some may expect a somewhat more hotel-like feel. If you do…. Then don’t. Staying with Shayne is a real Airbnb deal and a genuine Parisian experience. I would stay again!

It's great for a host when a discerning guest leaves a review like this one. Thanks, Smuel, for taking the time, and for the recommendation.
I'd just like to add to Smuel's comment that in this very special neighborhood, sacred ground near Notre Dame, dominated by four beautiful ancient churches, there are only a couple of bed and breakfasts so to get a hotel-like feel you'll have to go to a hotel, but be warned, even though no hotels in the neighborhood offer a kitchenette already stocked with breakfast goodies they are very expensive. The Hotel de Notre Dame, on the Quai, has its cheapest rooms at over 300 euros even though its Quai St Michel is noisy with traffic 20 hours a day. The Garret for 1 is on a street with almost no traffic except pedestrians. It can get noisy but the Garret is sound-proofed to some degree and I feel my 125 euro price is quite fair and perhaps even a bargain considering that the cheapest room at the nearby Holiday Inn is now 495 euros simply because it's the Latin Quarter Holiday Inn. Potential clients should be warned that you can't hear the bells of Notre Dame from most of the rooms in the Holiday Inn whereas in the Garret they sound as if they are next door... which they are. Location, Location, Location.
The new price also has allowed me to get a really good professional cleaner on the job and the Garret now sparkles as it never has before, or at least sparkles as much as can a dwelling which is around five hundred years old.
Also I thank Shmuel for mentioning the 'lift going straight down to the T' --- i.e. the elevator to the RER airport train platform fifty just steps from the Garret --- which means you are CLOSER TO THE AIRPORT HERE THAN ANYWHERE ELSE IN PARIS. Ergo, you get to your room sooner, a bit less tire, and leave a bit later than everyone else in Paris who is taking the same flight.
Note too that the Xavier Privas elevator is the only way to and from CDG or Orly without having to take your bag up or down a flight of stairs or down a very long series of long escalators.

My visit to Shayne's 17th century garret began on one of then hottest days I have experienced in Paris. Over 90 degrees and humid. My plan was to get a ride in from Orly airport with one of my colleagues to Shayne's location. Sadly traffic in Paris was the worst my colleague had ever seen and my original plan to join a group of my colleagues on an evening boat ride on the Seine was fast disappearing as my colleague and I struggled with what seemed like a hopelessly gnarled Paris traffic scene. I called Shayne and he graciously suggested that I first go the boat dock and come to his place as late as I wished. This worked and I arrived at the quay at just the right moment to board the boat. Four hours later (midnight) I was back at the quay and on my way to Shayne's. His directions were perfect and my journey from the quay to his doorstep went considerably better than it might have four hours earlier. Shayne was extremely gracious in introducing me to his garret past midnight. After the quick tour of the garret, the opportunity for a great conversation arose. We talked until 2 am and without recounting the complete details of the conversation, I think it is fair to say that one of the great pluses of staying with Shayne is the opportunity to talk with him about so many different subjects. Photos of my room were exactly as it appeared in real life and I spent a very comfortable time in the garret before departing for home via the RER and Charles deGaulle airport. Of course, one of the pluses of Shayne's place is location. Notre Dame is steps away, but don't miss the opportunity to hear some classical music and visit Sainte Chapelle (built in 1240 AD) half a block from Shayne's. Even if you are devotee of Hip-hop and think Vivaldi is boring go see this place at sunset when the stained glass windows shine in the brilliance of the setting sun. The concerts are really the only way to get into this place at sunset but it will be worth it. Then take a stroll along the Seine in the evening. When the weather is warm strolling towards the Jardin des Plants you will find many forms of dancing going on along the river. So many folks are having a great time along the river even on a weekday evening that it feels like one enormous party. In any case back to Shayne's. It is the real deal. Suspend your belief for an evening and imagine yourself as a struggling young artist or writer who has come to be in Paris to partake of its soul. Enjoy your life in the cafes and street life of the Latin Quarter, visit the places of the greats and the homes of the humble. Paris will become your home for the time you stay with Shayne.